


Drives and Deflections

by Cinder7storm4



Series: How can I trust you? [17]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angry Sheriff Stilinski, Angst, Aside from Stiles, Emotionally Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Friendship, Gen, Minor Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Nurse Melissa McCall, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Protective Sheriff Stilinski, Sad Melissa McCall, Sad Sheriff Stilinski, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski Bromance, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf) is Part of the Pack, Scott can drive the Jeep, Scott is a Good Friend, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Sheriff can drive the Jeep, Stiles Has Issues, Stiles Has Nightmares, Stiles Stilinski Has Low Self-Esteem, Stiles Stilinski is Part of the Hale Pack, Stiles Stilinski's Jeep's Name is Roscoe, The Hale Pack - Freeform, background scallison, but that's it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 07:35:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15408132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinder7storm4/pseuds/Cinder7storm4
Summary: John isn't ready to talk to Melissa, too bad they're already in the same car.Scott takes steps to remind Stiles how important he is to him.





	Drives and Deflections

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Teen Wolf.

John had texted Scott the other day asking when Melissa would get off her Monday shift at the hospital. He was now waiting by his cruiser, two coffees in the cup holders inside, watching the doors for Melissa McCall to make an appearance. When she did walk outside it only took her a few seconds to remember that she had loaned Scott the car that morning out of some fit of guilt for working so much. Glaring at the cloudy sky, she debated whether she could catch a bus before the skies decided to open up and drench her. 

“Melissa!” 

Someone called out her name, and she turned to see John standing by his cruiser, as if he had been waiting for her. Briefly, Melissa wondered if it would just be better to wait for the bus. She was not looking forward to having this discussion with John, but she was resigned to it. She headed over taking a moment to appreciate her friend who was obviously geared up for this discussion, but had also been kind enough to come pick her up. Melissa had never given herself real time to explore any potential feelings for John; she’d been close friends with Claudia and once the woman had passed she had focused on making sure the Stilinskis were holding together. 

But she never let her other feelings slip in, because at the time Stiles hadn’t needed another mom, and John certainly hadn’t needed a new wife. Over the years she’d thought of it, but now, with this conversation and the lies she’d kept looming over them she wondered if she’d ever be able to regain John’s trust completely to even attempt something. 

“John,” she greeted him.

“I’ll take you home,” he responded to her greeting without returning it, but his voice wasn’t cold or angry. That boded well at least. 

She nodded and settled herself into the passenger seat, after buckling up they pulled away from the hospital and John gestured to the coffee at a stop sign, “I brought drinks.”

“Mine’s decaf,” he tapped the lid with a finger, “I figured I could do my part to help Stiles stop worrying about every aspect of my health.”

Melissa raised her eyebrows slightly, but just took the cup meant for her and slowly sipped, waiting for John to raise the topic of werewolves. Instead, there was silence, which was odd when in the company of a Stilinski at the best of times. 

“How is Stiles? Scott said he’d been given an antidote, but if you’d feel better having me check him over I can.”

John’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly then relaxed “He’s no longer drugged. We’re sure of that, but I would like him to get checked out soon. I get the feeling he’s been hiding more injuries from the pack than even they think.”  
“He’s good at that,” murmured Melissa, not thinking of the memories her words would bring to the surface until she spoke them, “Shit, John…”

He shook his head at her, “You’re right. He is, hell, he hid what his mother did to him for much longer than I knew,” his voice caught on his words, “I know he can lie with the best of them,” they pulled into Melissa’s driveway and John turned to look at her, anger in his eyes now, “Which is why I do not understand why any adult who supposedly cares for him would keep me out of the loop about any of this!” 

He slammed his hand on the steering wheel, all the anger swiftly draining out of him as he slumped in his seat. “What the hell were you thinking, Mel?”

“Scott told me he’d keep him safe. He said they’d bring you in when it was safe.”

“So, you took the word of your teenage werewolf son, over the health and safety of my child?” John scrubbed a hand over his face, “Mel, the boys don’t even really talk anymore, not like they used to.”

“Scott said he’s working on it, John. I know you talked to him yesterday. I know you’re worried for Stiles, but God, don’t you think I’m worried for my kid too?” 

“He’s stronger now though Mel, he can heal. Stiles can’t,” he sighed, fingers tapping the steering wheel restlessly, both of them look straight through the windshield and not at each other. 

“Do you even know how bad it has gotten?” John asked Melissa after a moment, “With the boys? Don’t you want to know why I called Scott down to the station rather than my house? It’s because Stiles spent his sixteenth birthday in the damn cemetery by his mother’s grave instead of with me or Scott. It’s because Scott ignored their code word for the first damn time in their lives. It’s because he hurts himself and I didn’t see it. It’s because he thinks my life is more important than his. It’s because I did things after Claudia that I never knew about but they’ve shaped his entire identity. It’s because my kid feels like he isn’t worth anything to anyone and I don’t know how the hell that happened or if it can be fixed!” John’s words ended in a sharp click as he flicked the door locks off in the car, his breathing was heavy, “I thought could do this right now, but I can’t. You should go in before it rains, Melissa.” 

He couldn’t look at her. 

Melissa didn’t blame him. 

She hadn’t known. She hadn’t seen.

She could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. 

“John…”

“Please, Mel, just go.”

“We’ll talk again. Soon. Even if you just need to rant at me again.”

John huffed out a hollow laugh and Melissa exited the car, opening her front door just as it began to rain. As she closed it she watched John back the cruiser out of the driveway, even when he was angry he waited until she actually got into her house safely. When the front door shut, Melissa leaned against it and allowed her tears fall.  
\---  
John pulled back up at the station, unwilling to go home in his current, especially knowing that Stiles wouldn’t be home for another three hours at least. He figured he could knock out some paperwork and then go home for the night, maybe even get home before Stiles. Tara glanced up as he walked back into the station and as he made his way to his office she got up to follow him. 

“Something you need, Deputy?” he asked, voice a bit rough from the way he’d spoken to Melissa, but he couldn’t bring himself to fully regret it. She was an adult in the know and Stiles was just a kid. 

“I thought you were tapping out for the afternoon, Sheriff?” she asked him, leveling a curious look at him.

“My plans for the afternoon will have to wait a bit,” he gestured for Tara to come in and close the door behind her. 

“You okay?” she asked him, “I thought you were going to talk to Melissa.”

“I was, I did, but turns out I wasn’t ready to have that conversation with her,” John sighed heavily, “I needed something to distract me for a few hours.”

“Well, we’ve got paperwork for that,” grinned Tara, dropping a sheaf of papers on his desk, looking at him more closely, “Give it time, John. Melissa loves Stiles like he’s her son, I’m sure she never meant for whatever happened to happen.”

John nodded, “You know, it’s funny. It seems that the people who profess to love Stiles the most seem to also be the ones letting him down consistently.”

Tara winced at his words, but nodded, “Well, like I said the other day, we’ll just have to work on it won’t we?”

“Can damage like this be fixed?” John mused, looking at Tara for an answer, “You studied Psychology in college.”

“Well, from what you’ve implied and what we’ve inferred, because none of us have the full story,” John went to interject, but she held up a hand, “I know it’s Stiles’ story to tell. From what we know or think, it could go either way at this point, John. The good thing is you’ve caught it now, but the healing, this next stage, making up for it, fixing it, growing beyond the hurt – that’s the tough part. That’s where people break. Don’t break, Sheriff. We’re all behind you.”

“Thank you, Tara.”

John flipped open the first file in front of him, effectively dismissing her, and she left him to do his work, leaving his door open so that he could keep one ear open to the goings on of the station.  
\--  
When the last bell rang Scott bolted out of his final period to get to Stiles before the betas, which he succeeded in, but he hadn’t beat the rest of the pack. Lydia was waiting at Stiles’ locker with a determined look on her face, “Turn around, puppy,” she told him, “I need to talk to him.”

Scott wanted to square up to her, feeling like she was threatening his ability to connect with Stiles, but part of his wolf also wanted to defer to another human in his new pack. “Lyds, leave it,” Allison interjected, coming up behind Scott, “Let him talk to, Stiles.” Lydia swept her eyes up and down Scott, and looked like she was just about respond, and not kindly when Stiles arrived looking super confused and surprised. 

“Sup?” Stiles said, looking at the trio before turning to his locker to grab some books, then closing it again, “Something going on?” Scott could feel his friend’s anxiety and hope, gauging whether Scott would tell him the truth or not.

Before Scott could say a word, Lydia jumped in, “If you say Peter’s not crazy anymore I believe you.” The brief uptick in Stiles’ heartbeat at the word ‘believe’ was something Scott filed away in his mind to think about later. 

“Cool, cool, cool,” Stiles replied, rubbing the back of his neck, his anxiety spiking, “Glad to hear it. See you guys later then!” 

He shot off down the hallway, and Scott didn’t think, he just headed after him. “Stiles!” he called out, his friend hesitating then stopping on the school steps, “What’s up, Scott?”

“Uh, want to do dinner at my place tomorrow night after practice?” 

“Um, sure, but… won’t you have plans with Allison or something?”

“No, I won’t,” Scott was a little rushed with his words, making Stiles walk the three steps back up to where Scott was standing.  
“You okay, Scott?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Stiles’ eyebrows rose, and Scott remembered the Sheriff giving him a look like that the other day, and laughed, except it came out more as a squeak as he thought about how long it had been since he’d properly watched his best friend’s expressions. 

“Scott? What the hell’s going on, man?” Stiles had his hand on Scott’s shoulder now and Scott could feel his wolf, comforted by the feeling of his first packmate and best friend. His emotional anchor, before he turned, and his anchor now too, along with Allison and his mom. 

During his internal freak out, Stiles had somehow pulled Scott down the steps to the parking lot and over to his jeep. Scott leaned up against the side of the jeep, and Stiles went to pull his hand away to grab his keys when Scott grabbed his friend’s hand, keeping it on his shoulder. 

“Scott?” Stiles asked, a question in his voice, “Buddy, you’ve got to give me something if I’m going to help.”

“I’m okay. Sorry,” he looked up at Stiles who just looked so concerned for him and he couldn’t believe he still had a friend like Stiles, “I’m so sorry.” He knew this wouldn’t fix it, but he needed to start, he needed to say it, he needed…

“Scott, what hell are you sorry for? You forgetting I’m the king of panic attacks,” Stiles’ laugh was hollow to Scott’s ears.

“I’m sorry that I left you at the party on Friday,” Scott blurted out and Stiles’ scented soured immediately from the crisp scent of concern to the overwhelming scents of insecurity, anxiety, and embarrassment.

“Scott, I already told you it’s…”

“It’s not fine,” Scott cut Stiles off, not letting Stiles’ hand go, “You got drugged. No, you were poisoned Stiles, nothing about that is okay.” 

Stiles tried to yank himself from Scott’s grip, “Oh god,” he groaned, “I can’t do this again today; I’m not doing this again.”

“Stiles…”

“Goddammit, Scott, I get okay. I know why you left, okay?”

“But if I hadn’t made you come with me it never would have happened,” Scott bristled at Stiles' seeming insistence on forgiving him when he’d done nothing to earn that forgiveness, “I could have helped.”

Stiles stopped struggling, “I’m glad you weren’t there, Scott. It’s bad enough that my dad was…” and all of the fight seemed to flow out of him. Scott let go of his hand tentatively, “But that’s not what pack does. That’s not what we do, or at least, not what I should have done,” Scott spoke in a softer tone, “You are my original pack, Stiles and you’re in my pack now, I never should have left you behind.”

Stiles drew in a deep breath, “I hear you, Scott, as for the party it’s over. You and Allison seem happy again; I’m glad.”

“Stop deflecting,” Scott said, sharply, noticing for the first time that Stiles hardly outright lied to him in the past so he’d never noticed the slight skip in his friend’s heartbeat when he lied via deflection.

“I’m not…”

“Yes, you are. I know you’re happy for Allison and me because I’m happy about it, but the pack stuff, you don’t believe me.”

“I think your werewolf senses are crossed, buddy.”

“I told you that humans weren’t pack, because I wanted to keep you safe, Stiles!”

“No, Scott, it’s because you don’t think I belong in your new world and I don’t know how to live in a world without my brother in it!” Stiles was angry now, but the overwhelming emotion Scott could feel rolling off his best friend was sadness so deep and dark he felt almost like he was choking. It was like the sadness was swallowing Stiles alive. Scott had no idea how his friend was still standing. 

He gave into his wolf then because Stiles wasn’t listening, he couldn’t hear him. Instead, Scott stepped forward and pulled Stiles into a hug. His inner wolf howled at reclaiming his packmate, Stiles tried to pull away initially, but Scott just hugged him tighter, “You are my best friend, my brother, and my first pack. And this, this is a hug, because this is what you do when you’ve screwed up one of the most important relationships in your life and you need to start reminding someone how important they are to you.”

Scott kept Stiles close to him until his friend stopped trying to get away and just sunk into the embrace, but even still Scott could feel Stiles holding back, anxious and afraid. Scott knew he couldn’t fix everything today, but this, this was a start. 

Eventually, they pulled apart, but Scott kept his hands on Stiles’ arms, keeping his friend upright. 

“Let me drive you home,” Scott requested, “Please?”

Stiles wanted to refuse, but felt so shaky he knew it’d be unsafe to drive. He nodded, jerkily. He handed off the keys, hands shaking and went around to the passenger side of his jeep. 

“Wait, your mom’s car, Scott, it’s…”

“I swear, every time you say fine, I’m just going to hug you until you’re honest with me,” Scott threatened him.

Stiles was quiet for a moment, “Scott, you can’t leave it here. I’ll just take a few minutes and then I'll be fine to drive.” Scott made good on his threat, and pulled Stiles into another hug, although this one was shorter. Stiles almost rolled his eyes.

“No, I’ll come back for it, please?” Scott pleaded with Stiles, finally, his friend nodded and then closed his eyes to lean back against his seat. 

“Thank you, Stiles,” Scott said.

“Not sure what you’re thanking me for, Scotty.”

“For being you,” he replied. Stiles shook his head, murmuring, “I must be dreaming.” Out of the corner of his eye Scott saw Stiles tick off his fingers, twice.

“What’re you doing?” Scott asked, curious and happier than he'd been in awhile. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d just talked to Stiles about something non-supernatural or Allison related. His wolf was settled for the moment and he was taking care of Stiles; life was good. 

“In dreams you have six fingers,” Stiles replied. 

“Really?” then Scott rushed to keep speaking so it didn’t sound like he was questioning Stiles’ information, “What else?”

“Else? To tell the difference between dreams and reality?” Stiles asked.

“Yeah,” Scott responded, excited.

“Umm, I don’t think you can read the time. Your hands might be deformed or have less than five fingers too. Actually, the six fingers thing is something I’ve just noticed,” Scott pulled up at a stop sign and turned to look at Stiles, “You’ve noticed? What kind of dreams are you having, Stiles?”

Stiles rolled his eyes, “I’ve always had weird dreams, Scott.” Scott pulled the jeep up on a side road and parked, looking at Stiles.

“Don’t deflect with me, Stiles.”

“Scott, this is me. You know that’s what I do. I’m 147 pounds of pale skin and fragile bone; sarcasm is my only defense.”

“It’s not your only defense,” Scott replied, staunchly. 

Stiles snorted.

“You’re smart,” Scott stated, “You’ve got your bat too” he added as an afterthought.

“None of us even play baseball,” replied Stiles, with a short laugh that Scott echoed. 

“Are you having nightmares?” Scott asked.

Stiles rubbed the back of his neck, “Scott…”

“You don’t need to tell me right now,” Scott soothed his friend, reaching out to put his hand on the back of Stiles neck too, anchoring his friend. He filed away the nightmare question into his Stiles file and then after pulling his hand back, put the car back into gear and continued off to the Stilinski house.

**Author's Note:**

> I picture the hug between Scott and Stiles like the one that happened between Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter from the 'Boy Meets World' episode "Cult Fiction". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YebsYAfnr_s


End file.
